Supporting STEM Education through MESA

Hi Friends,

In early 2024, founders Justin, Ryan, Dilain, and Rishabh volunteered with MESA’s UC San Francisco chapter. MESA (Math, Engineering, Science, Achievement) serves over 24,000 students in California across early education, community college, and undergraduate levels. The organization facilitates college and career preparation, fostering student diversity and enthusiasm in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). MESA achieves this through dedicated STEM clubs, engineering competitions, networking events, mentorship programs, and internships. Many students in MESA programs come from communities traditionally disadvantaged in pursuing STEM education and careers. Volunteering with MESA aligns perfectly with the RJ Pimentel Foundation’s mission to continue RJ’s lifelong passion for supporting disadvantaged students in STEM.

In February, our Bay Area members volunteered at Phillip and Sala Burton Academic High School in South San Francisco. This school has a unique class period dedicated to MESA program activities. At the time, students were working on two major engineering projects for an upcoming competition: creating an airplane glider designed to meet specific requirements and building a model moon base that could withstand a projectile impact. Each project had detailed engineering criteria, such as using limited wooden materials for the gliders, accounting for load-bearing capacities in the moon bases, and avoiding the use of unfair strengthening adhesives or bonds. Students had to tap into their creativity and resourcefulness, much like real-world engineers. As the students worked in groups, members of our foundation rotated through the classroom, offering assistance and fostering critical thinking by asking thought-provoking questions about their designs. Many students began to make connections between the engineering concepts they had learned in class and the challenges of their projects.

In early March, our volunteers returned to Burton High School as mentors and judges for the MESA competition, where students tested their designs. The moon base competition kicked off with our team dropping a tow hitch onto each structure to assess its integrity and ability to withstand the required impact. During the lunch break, we helped facilitate an accelerated egg drop event, where students used minimal materials and time to create a nest that would protect an egg dropped from a ladder. Afterward, the final glider competition was held, with each group launching their gliders to see if they could meet the elevation requirements and glide the furthest distance. At the end of the day, the top three teams in each competition were awarded prizes.

The RJ Pimentel Foundation is committed to continuing our partnership with MESA and Burton High School, as we work to support as many students as possible in their pursuit of STEM education. We also aim to expand our reach to other MESA chapters in the future to maximize our impact.

If you would like to get involved, please reach out to [email protected].

For more information about MESA and how you can get involved, please visit: https://mesa.ucop.edu/.

With Love,

The RJ Pimentel Memorial Foundation